


Training

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 21:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4194936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra's not the only one who needs training.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Training

**Author's Note:**

  * For [twilightquill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilightquill/gifts).



The Avatar was supposed to have an animal companion.

Aang had Appa; Roku had Fang. And countless Avatars before them had their companions as well. Korra had always liked the idea, of having a strong and loyal and brave friend by her side, who would never leave her, always there in her time of need. She'd dreamed about it, and practically jumped for joy when her parents had finally gotten her one.

But as she locked eyes with the puppy in front of her, she was beginning to see that maybe she hadn't truly thought this through.

"Sit," she said, staring down the newly named Naga, just four months old. Naga stared right back, tongue lolling innocently. Korra clenched her hands into fists.

“Sit,” she repeated more vehemently, pointing at the ground. Naga barked, wagging her tail furiously.

“Ugh,” Korra said, sitting down herself with a sigh. Maybe if she did it, Naga could learn from example. But instead, Naga came up to her and licked her face.

“Well,” Korra said, smiling a little, “at least you’re cute.” But cute wasn’t really enough for a proper Avatar’s companion. She scratched Naga behind the ears and stood, turning to face the door. Maybe Master Katara would have some ideas.

As she turned, she noticed her mother, standing there and leaning against the wall. Korra hadn’t heard her come in, but then, she’d been focused on training Naga.

“Having some trouble?” she said, nodding at where Naga had now wandered off and began to chew on a rug. Korra opened her mouth to protest; she was twelve and she didn’t need her mother’s help. 

Then she glanced back at Naga and sighed. She knew she could be stubborn sometimes, and she really didn’t know how to train a dog. Bending had always come naturally to her, but this just wasn’t.

“Yeah,” Korra said. “I was going to ask Master Katara if she could help.” 

“Hmm,” Senna said. “I don’t know if Master Katara ever had a dog. And I’m not sure sky bison are that similar.” Korra frowned and crossed her arms. There went that plan. “But I had a dog as a girl. Maybe I can help you.” 

Korra brightened. “Really? Thanks! What do I do?” Senna pulled a pouch out her her coat, setting it on a table next to the door. “First, you need to train her using treats. She can’t understand words, not as well as you can at least, but she does understand food. Eventually, she’ll do what you say without the food.” Senna pulled a piece of dried fish from the pouch, and crouched on the floor.

“Here, Naga,” she said, shaking the fish, “here, girl.” Naga sniffed the air, then came galloping over to Senna, who pulled the fish just out of reach. 

“Now,” Senna said, looking over to Korra, “watch me.” She began to raise the fish out of Naga’s range, and Korra watched in astonishment as, slowly but surely, Naga’s rear lowered to the floor. Then, once she was fully seated, Senna dropped the fish into her mouth.

“There, that wasn’t too bad, was it?” She scratched Naga fondly, then stood, grabbing another piece of fish and handing it to Korra. “Now you try.”

Korra looked at her mother, then back at Naga. She repeated what her mother had done, and, just as before, Naga sat.

“I did it!” Korra said. Her mother stood near the door, smiling. 

“Good job. Now just keep working on that, and you’ll have her trained in no time.” Naga barked, and Senna laughed. “And of course Naga will have to work hard too.”

“We’ll do it!” Korra said. Soon, Naga would be as great a companion for her as Appa had been for Aang. 

“I’m sure you will,” Senna said. Then, “oh, dear.”

“What?” Korra asked. Senna nodded to the corner, where Naga was currently relieving herself on the rug she’d previously been chewing. 

“Naga!” Korra said. Naga looked up guiltily, then scampered out of the room. 

“It’ll take time,” Senna said, putting a hand on Korra’s shoulder, “and patience. But you’ll get it in the end.”

Right. Patience wasn’t Korra’s strong point, but she could do this. She was the Avatar, after all. She made to go chase after Naga, but her mother held her shoulder.

“You’re going to have to clean that up, you know,” Senna said. Korra gave her mother a pleading look. Senna looked right back. 

Sometimes, being the Avatar was a messy business. As she went to get the cleaning supplies, she heard Naga bark, and smiled. But it was worth it in the end.


End file.
